ROBERT GORDON UNIVERSITY Aberdeen Faculty of Design and Technology Grays School of Art

BA (Hons) Fine Art BA (Hons) Design

AA4126 Contextual and Critical Studies Stage 4

Critical Evaluation Study Guide

2011-2012

CONTENTS

Introduction & Key Dates 1. Selecting a Topic & Finalising a Research Question 2. Semester 1 Tutorial Programme 3. Final Draft 4. Final Submission 5. Final Format & Word Length 6. Time Allocated and Time Management 7. Primary Research 8. Assessment 9. Plagiarism 10. Ethical Considerations 11. Appendix: Ethical Considerations Checklist

Introduction
How to use this guide This guide provides detailed instructions for the completion of your Critical Evaluation. Consult it for advice on: course requirements, key dates, tutorial arrangements, completion of documentation, layout and referencing, etc. Module Aims This module will build upon students' introduction to selfdirected study and research in Contextual and Critical Studies, stage 3. The core skills of research, analysis, synthesis and communication will be expanded upon, further enabling students to communicate effectively and creatively the critical position of their practice within their own professional context in art and/or design. Learning Outcomes On completion of this module, students are expected to be able to: 1. Conduct independent research, using methodologies appropriate to their practice in fine art and/or design. 2. Demonstrate informed and critical awareness of their professional context and be able to locate their own practice within it. 3. Analyse appropriately selected historical and contemporary themes in fine art and design within the context of professional practice. 4. Apply critical and analytical thinking and engage in critical, conceptual and imaginative exploration of ideas related to the context of fine art and/or design. 5. Synthesise, analyse and evaluate information gathered from their research and communicate effectively in writing, visual and aural materials. Important Dates Submission of completed Draft: Monday, 5 December 2011 Feedback on Draft by: Wednesday, 21 December 2011 Final submission date: Monday, 30 January 2012

What You Have To Do

Key Tasks and Tutorial arrangements The Critical Evaluation is a major piece of work which will be submitted at the end of Semester 1 and be formally assessed at the end of Semester 2. The main elements of the programme in Stage 4 are outlined below.

1. Selecting a Topic and Finalising a Research Question

In the second semester of Stage 3 you were asked to investigate themes which might form the basis of your Critical Evaluation in Stage 4. Some students will therefore now have identified a topic for research and begun the process of formulating a clear research question. Do not, however, be over concerned if you have yet to finalise your theme. It is not unusual for students to be undecided at this stage and the aim of the tutorial system is to ensure that students have dedicated support from an assigned tutor to establish a clear direction.

2. Tutorial Arrangements
A programme of regular tutorial support is established early in Stage 4. In Week 2, you will be assigned a tutor to supervise your Critical Evaluation on the basis of your selected topic. You will meet with your tutor in small study groups from Week 3. There will be 5 tutorial sessions in total, 4 group sessions and 1 individual tutorial. Details of the study group to which you have been assigned and the time and location of your first tutorial will be posted on the Contextual and Critical Studies Notice Board before the end of week 1 (Friday, 1 October). Further details of all subsequent sessions will also be posted on the Notice Board. The following provides a broad outline of the focus and aims of each tutorial session.

Semester 1 Tutorial Programme

1st Group Session (Week 2) At the first study group you will discuss and share your initial ideas. Some students will already be clear about their research theme; others will still be undecided. Do your best to come ready to discuss a broad area of interest, at least. If you have already identified some key texts, bring them with you. At the end of this session you will sign up for a one-to-one tutorial with your tutor. One-to-one Tutorial (Weeks 3/4) This tutorial is to help you further develop a specific research direction and question. Following this session you are expected to undertake in-depth reading and significantly develop your research. 2nd Group Session (time and venue tbc by your tutor) For this session you return to your study groups. Come prepared to discuss and share information on your research effort to date e.g. key texts, good journals, possible primary sources etc. Continue to research following this session and begin to develop a potential structure for your draft. The earlier you begin to write, the better. 3rd Group Session (time and venue tbc by your tutor) Bring an outline structure to this tutorial, for discussion. This might include: a potential introduction, a short summary of the proposed contents of each section/chapter, a brief summary of your conclusions to date, etc. Begin to write if you have not already done so. 4th Group Session (time and venue tbc by your tutor) This is your final study group session and a final opportunity to deal with any outstanding concerns. Week 7?: Lecture on Referencing By Grays Subject Librarian Victoria Farmer. tbc Week 11 Submit a final draft for review and feedback by Monday, 5 December, 4pm.

3.

Final Draft
The Draft is an opportunity for you to receive feedback prior to final submission in January, and its purpose is to ensure that your final work is fully on track. Draft deadline: The Draft should be submitted by 4.00pm on Monday, 5 December 2011. Draft format: With the exception of a final binding, the draft should follow all requirements for the final submission including the final text, all images, footnotes and a full bibliography. Draft review and feedback: Feedback will take the form of a summary sheet confirming you are either on track to submit or need to make improvements. If it is considered you would benefit from further tutorial support this will be indicated along with instructions to contact your tutor.

4.

Final Submission
The final time and date for submission is 4.00pm on Monday, 30 January 2012. Details of the submission procedure will be provided nearer the date. Please note you are required to produce TWO copies of the final written text (2 copies requires of paper version and CD/DVD) fully labelled.) Master copy to be submitted for assessment and a duplicate to be retained by your supervisor as back-up. Your final mark will be ratified at the June Examination Board and issued thereafter.

5.

Final format & word length

Most works take the form of a traditional dissertation, though an increasing number of students choose to adopt more creative and experimental formats. Examples of good practice (A- and B-graded) from previous years can be viewed in the Scott Sutherland Library (5th floor). Go to http://campusmoodle.rgu.ac.uk/ 6

and click on: for full guidance on physical layout i.e. Stage 4 Guide to Academic Presentation. Some students opt for more creative formats intending to integrate elements of critique within the presentation. For example, a student looking at aspects of memory might present their work on antiqued paper, accompanied by distressed photography, etc. The position is that, where additional and commendable effort is made, students are awarded credit for creative formats, but it is stressed that this is not essential and the highest marks can be awarded irrespectively. Required Word Length The required word length, including quotations but excluding Appendices, Footnotes and Bibliography, is 6,000-8,000 words. Alternative Formats Some students may wish to consider alternative formats. For example, students who have dyslexia or other difficulties might want to consider formats better suited to their own strengths and abilities, while the studio practice of others might lead naturally to something alternative. In any such instance, please discuss your intentions at an early stage with your tutor so that practicalities can be considered. Such formats might include: a written text supported by a multimedia document CD, video, etc. a video with supporting written commentary (including story boards) a website including hyper-linked text a hyper-linked CD Rom other

Whichever format you choose to adopt, it will have to meet the required word length and the same standards of assessment as all other submissions. The precise word length, in any circumstance, will remain within the 6,0008,000 word limit.

6.

Time allocated and time management

The Critical Evaluation represents 25% of your mark in your final year. Therefore, in Semester 1 you should allocate half of the academic week (2.5 days) to related research and study, since there is no CCS allocation at all in Semester 2 of Stage 4. The tutorial programme is intended to help you manage your time 7

by including a list of tasks to be completed by specified dates. Remember, there are various elements which may need early consideration: Primary research, for example, may require forward planning. If you are considering this, think about the time it may take to make appropriate arrangements. Similarly, consider whether you require any materials through Inter-Library loan, as these can take up to 2-4 weeks to arrive. Finally, if you are considering specifically creative or other alternative formats for the final presentation, you will need to leave sufficient time to undertake and complete these. [See 5. above, for comments on Alternative Formats.]

7.

Primary Research
Primary Research: Primary research is well regarded although not essential. What is primary research? Primary research involves the identification and inclusion of original source materials usually leading to more personally conceived and independent writing. Books, journal articles, videos, etc. are usually examples of secondary research because they provide information through an intermediary or second person. When using secondary sources, you are reading someone elses research and conclusions, whereas primary research involves the sourcing of original materials from which you would construct your own and original conclusions. Examples of primary research might include the following: information and opinions obtained by interviewing a practitioner whose work you will discuss in your evaluation visits to a studio or gallery exhibition which provide direct experience of the work you are researching a structured investigation using questionnaires and a well chosen population sample, undertaken to inform your research or support your conclusions personal letters, perhaps from archives, which confirm attitudes or events relating to a specific person or period newspapers or magazine articles which might indicate beliefs, prevalent practices or forms, from a specific period

8.

Assessment
The Critical Evaluation forms 25% of the final fourth year overall mark (your studio work comprises 75%). It will be double-marked internally following RGU procedures, to ensure a consistent and fair assessment. In the event of a discrepancy in marks, a third internal marker is called upon to adjudicate. Finally, an external examiner is used to moderate the standards of marking and to report on these to the Examination Board. The following are the criteria used by examiners when making their assessment: Approach & Structure 20% Research & References 30% Critical Awareness & Argument 40% Academic Format & Presentation 10%

For further details see the Stage 4 Assessment Criteria, available from http://campusmoodle.rgu.ac.uk/

9.

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is when you use other peoples work without acknowledging that you have done so by citing the sources (referencing). If you copy sentences, phrases or expressions without saying where you have found them, this is plagiarism; if you paraphrase someone (i.e. put someones ideas in your own words) without stating where the original came from, this is plagiarism. Listing the source in the bibliography does not suffice on its own. Each time you use a source in your text, you must say so. If you draw on the same source many times on the same page, you still have to reference every single idea, argument or piece of information; if you are unsure, err on the side of over-referencing. Word-for-word quotations must be either placed in inverted commas or indented (for longer quotations), and fully referenced. Both direct citations and paraphrased ideas must be referenced! There are two main kinds of plagiarism:

Ideas-based plagiarism: Even if ideas, theories, opinions, etc. taken from a source are written in your own words, the result is still plagiarism. The only information that can be used without reference to a source is what is deemed to be common knowledge within the field. If in doubt, reference. Language-based plagiarism: this includes submitting a complete assignment written by someone else as your own work; resubmitting your own previously assessed work; copying and pasting sections or even sentences from a web source (even where a sentence is copied and then changed by substituting one or two words, or changing the word order).

In student writing, plagiarism is often unintentional. This does not mean that you will escape penalty, however, if discovered. The best way of protecting yourself from committing unintentional plagiarism is by keeping careful, detailed notes that are fully referenced and that draw clear distinctions between: 1. your own ideas and comments; 2. your summaries and paraphrases of what youve read; 3. direct (i.e. word-for-word) extracts from your sources; its best to put these in quotation marks in your notes as well as your assignments. Only 1. need not be referenced 2. and 3. should. Always take full bibliographic details of all the sources that you consult, including page numbers. The internet has made plagiarism simpler for students to commit, but also a lot easier for teaching faculty to detect. Tutors have now recourse to Turnitin for identifying and tracing unacknowledged sources. Its always preferable to risk a lower grade than fail your entire degree for having plagiarised. Related pitfalls: Recycling your own work: it is forbidden to re-submit a paper that youve already earned credit for in another course and/or institution. Collusion: this is when you collaborate with others on work that should be completed by you alone; unless explicitly stated in course documentation or official memos, you should assume that all assignments are non-collaborative, i.e. they must be completed by you alone, without input from anyone else. [Advice from your tutors and feedback on ideas and drafts are of an entirely different nature, and form an integral part of the learning process.] Finally, the prohibition of plagiarism in academic writing is no meaningless or arbitrary rule but is ingrained into the very nature of learning and research in higher education. In addition to its most 10

obvious function, avoiding plagiarism in your assignments also teaches you: To be aware of work already conducted in the area; To engage critically with other peoples findings, interpretations and ideas; To develop your own thoughts and express them in an intelligible way, placing them in the appropriate scholarly context; To keep challenging yourself to go further, without regurgitating other peoples or your own previous efforts. It is a University ruling that work found to contain plagiarism will be failed and further penalties may apply, particularly at Stage 4 which may affect final graduation. For further information please see the Library web page on referencing which provides a direct link to the University policy statement on plagiarism: http://campusmoodle.rgu.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=151 If you are at all uncertain about the parameters of plagiarism, do not hesitate to consult your tutor.

10. Ethical Considerations

There are rare circumstances in which a students research may have an ethical dimension. For example, the investigation might involve a conflict of interest or contact with confidential information of a personal or sensitive nature. Your tutor is responsible for advising you in such instances. The checklist in the Appendix will help you to identify what is meant by ethical considerations; you can find the University Research Ethics Policy at: http://www4.rgu.ac.uk/files/Research%20Ethics%20Policy .pdf

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Appendix
Ethical Considerations The following checklist of questions is taken from the Student Project Ethical Review Form, available from: http://www.rgu.ac.uk/files/SPER_April05.pdf If you answer YES to any of these questions or remain in doubt, please consult your tutor. Checklist Does the research involve the use of any dangerous substances? Does the research involve ionising or other type of dangerous radiation? Could conflicts of interest arise between the source of funding and the potential outcomes of the research? Is it likely that the research will put any of the following at risk? o o o o Living creatures Stakeholders The Environment The Economy

Does the research involve any experimentation on any of the following? o Animals o Animal tissues o Human tissues (including blood, skin, cell lines)

Will the research involve prolonged or repetitive testing, or the collection of audio or video materials? Could the research induce psychological stress or anxiety, cause harm or have negative consequences for the participants beyond the risks encountered in normal life? Will financial inducements be offered? Will deception of participants be necessary during the research?

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Are there problems with the participants right to remain anonymous? Does the research involve participants who may be particularly vulnerable (such as children or adults with severe learning disabilities)?

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